The prior art relating to box-forming machines discloses a number of apparatus arrangements whereby paperboard blanks may be formed into a carton. In general, all such machines can be divided into two categories, namely, machines which form a carton from a single blank and machines which form a carton from a plurality of blanks.
Illustrative of machines of the former type are the machines disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,548,231, 2,708,862, 2,937,578, 3,185,046 and 3,105,334. Typically, the machines disclosed in these patents form a container or carton from a single blank by manipulating the blank through the use of folding arms or moving the blank through varying arrangements of fixed machine elements whereby parts of the blank are folded and appropriately arranged to form a carton.
Most of the machines falling into the second category mentioned above appear to form so-called Bliss boxes, i.e., boxes formed from three blanks wherein there is a central blank having joining flaps which are adhesively connected to rectangular blanks that form the end walls of the box. Illustrative are the machines disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 523,295, 365,879, 655,434, 3,465,652, 3,650,183, 3,659,505 and 3,673,928.
Although Bliss style boxes have been satisfactory for a number of applications, certain problems have arisen when such boxes have been used to package produce. For example, to conserve space filled cartons are generally arranged in face abutting stacks. As a result, if produce is packaged in a Bliss style box, the produce receives little or not ventilation. To overcome this problem, cartons have been designed which insure that adequate ventilation is provided substantially irrespective of the manner in which the cartons are stacked. An example of such a carton is the carton disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,831 and shown generally in FIG. 10 of the annexed drawings. Referring to FIG. 10, it will be seen that the carton 12 is comprised of a body forming blank 14 and a pair of end forming blanks 16. The body forming blank 14 is scored so as to define a bottom panel 18 and side panels 20. Preferably, the body forming blank 14 also includes top flaps 22. Each of the end forming blanks 16 is scored so as to define an end panel 21, side flaps 23 and a bottom flap 25. As shown in FIG. 10, the side panels 20 include ventilation holes 27. As pointed out in U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,831, the side flaps 23, because of their disposition, provide an annular space when containers are stacked adjacent to each other and this provision of an annular space cooperates with the ventilation holes 27 to insure adequate ventilation.
The invention disclosed herein relates to a method and apparatus for automatically assembling a carton of the type shown in FIG. 10 from a body forming blank and a pair of end forming blanks.